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Nothing to Fear
Nothing to Fear is the third episode of the first season of . Due to schedule changes it was the tenth episode to air. A criminal calling himself The Scarecrow starts a series of havoc and crimes in revenge against the Gotham University, stealing founds while intoxicating people with a gas that causes victims fear hallucinations. When Batman first tries to stop him, he gets intoxicated, and begins to see his worst fear: his father believes him to be a disgrace. Plot A Gotham University Charity Book Signing is in progress and the guests talk about the string of robberies and vandalism that has been plaguing the university. Summer Gleeson greets a man, Dr. Long, and asks to interview him about the recent robberies. While the two enter an elevator, Bruce Wayne heads on and joins the couple. Dr. Long snaps at Bruce angrily stating he believes that Bruce has disgraced the family name by being nothing more than a playboy. Though Summer tries to comfort Bruce, he’s not entirely alleviated. A helicopter lands on the University Bank and upon noticing it, Bruce heads out. Meanwhile, two goons and a man dressed up as a scarecrow confront a bank guard. The Scarecrow sprays the guard with a red gas and the guard suddenly sees himself covered with spiders. The goons watch in confusion, as they see nothing. Scarecrow explains that he helped the guard see his worst fear. They then enter into the vault. Inside the vault Scarecrow instructs his goon to take only what money he can then to burn the rest of it as the crime is not about money but revenge. Scarecrow tosses gas around but his stationed goon calls out that Batman is there. Scarecrow hurls some gas capsules at Batman but Batman has a gasmask on. Scarecrow introduces himself as the Scarecrow and has his goon distract Batman long enough to strike him with poisoned darts. Scarecrow then sets fire to the gas and he and his men escape. Batman manages to grab a scrap of Scarecrow’s mask but is weakened by the effects of the gas. While he tries to escape, he hears the voice of his father and sees a vision of his father telling him that he has disgraced the family name. Fortunately, the fire sprinklers come on and extinguish the fire but Batman is still affected. The police arrive and question Batman about who attacked the bank. Harvey Bullock arrives and demands that Batman gives him the scrap of Scarecrow’s mask but Commissioner Gordon arrives and Batman disappears. Elsewhere, Scarecrow watches a newscast explaining that Batman thwarted his attempt to torch the bank and the university’s funds. His goons wonder about why Scarecrow hates the university so much. He explains his motives to them, "I taught there! I was professor of psychology. Specializing in phobias. Inducing terror has always intrigued me. Even as a boy, I loved to frighten things. People, animals it was all the same. I became obsessed with fear's crippling power. Later when I became their leading professor of subliminal psychology at the university, I began performing experiments on fear and its subsequent effects. Dr. Long thought I went too far. He called me a lunatic. So now, they will learn the true nature of horror!" Meanwhile, a ragged-looking Bruce does an analysis on scarecrow’s mask and waits for his computer’s results. Bruce stares at a picture of his parents and trembles as he hears his father telling him that he failed him. A newscast tells about how Batman thwarted the arson attempt but failed to catch the perpetrators. The word “failed” echoes in his head. Alfred shuts off the TV and Bruce is able to think long enough to wonder why Scarecrow would want to destroy the university. He also explains about his hallucinations. Alfred assures him that Thomas would be proud of Bruce and tries to calm him. Later, at a Gotham University Museum benefit, people give donations to the university but the room is suddenly flooded with gas and Scarecrow waltzes in. He takes the donation money, which Dr. Long claims will only be done “over his dead body.” Scarecrow strikes him with fear gas and Dr. Long suddenly sees himself turning into a skeleton. Scarecrow’s goons drag a quivering Dr. Long away. The rest of the people aren’t of any help as they are stricken with their greatest fears. Pleased with his work, Scarecrow starts to leave but Batman arrives and stops him. Unfortunately, the people now see Batman as a giant bat and attack him in panic. Batman manages to escape from them but Scarecrow has already escaped onto a dirigible and flees. However, Batman manages to grab hold of a gas tube releasing more fear gas and climbs up. On the dirigible, Scarecrow relishes his victory but his goons point out that Batman is still alive. Scarecrow sends a goon to stop Batman and during the ensuing fight, bullets are fired into the dirigible destroying the controls and setting fire to the cabin. Now out of control, the dirigible crashes into a building and the goon falls. Batman manages to stay on the craft with his grappling hook but again sees a vision of his father claiming that he’s a disgrace. However, Batman tells the vision that it’s not his father and he’s not a disgrace. He reminds himself that he’s Batman and the vision fades away. He crashes into the cabin and confronts the remaining goon. Scarecrow tries to hit Batman with his poison darts again but accidentally hits his goon who starts to see himself being trapped in closing prison walls. Seeing that he’s lost, Scarecrow escapes on a glider leaving Batman and the professor alone on the dirigible. Batman manages to save Dr. Long and the dirigible crashes. With Dr. Long saved, Batman summons the Batmobile and checks to see the results of the mask’s analysis. The computer reveals that only five places manufacture such chemicals and Batman cross-references them for former employees of Gotham University. Only one place fits the bill: Crane Chemicals, owned and founded by Jonathan Crane. Scarecrow manages to reach his chemical plant and removes his mask. However, he discovers that his fear gas has been released into the room and he sees visions of a giant bat attacking him. He then runs into Batman and quakes in fear. As Batman reaches for him, Crane sees him as a giant bat-like demon. Back that the Gotham Police Department, Bullock tires to convince Gordon that Batman and Scarecrow are working together and claims he’ll bet his badge on it. Just then, Gordon points out that Scarecrow has been delivered to them and asks Bullock about his badge. Later, Bruce leaves roses at his parents’ grave and silently walks away. Background Information Production Inconsistencies *Water sprinklers do not work on gasoline fires; the bank would have burned to the ground even faster. Trivia *This was the first episode of the series to feature Batman's past. Only the 1989 movie from Tim Burton, and an episode of the Super Powers Team (the last season of the Superfriends), incidentally also featuring the Scarecrow as main villain, explored the Dark Knight’s origins outside comics medium before this episode. *Bullock mentions Batman's refusal to comply with the investigation, saying to Gordon "Zorro here's been holding evidence." Ironically, Bruce's origin of Batman began when his parents were gunned down after seeing The Mark of Zorro. Bob Kane has said Zorro influenced the creation of Batman. *This episode marks the first appearance of the Scarecrow, as well as the first of Bruce's late father, Thomas Wayne. *At one point the Batmobile computer shows a list of nearby chemical companies. Among the companies shown are S.T.A.R. Labs from Superman's comics, which would later be featured in , and Axis Chemicals, which is the company that turned Jack Napier into The Joker in the 1989 Batman movie. *Near the end of the episode, the people of the university are exposed to fear toxin and attack Batman in fear of him. Later, Batman exposes the Scarecrow to the fear toxin, which causes him to hallucinate that Batman is a monstrous bat-like creature. Similar scenarios later happen in the movie Batman Begins. *The security guard at the bank is reading a Tiny Toon Adventures comic book. *The Danny Elfman theme is used twice in this episode. * This episode was adapted into the game The Adventures of Batman and Robin for the SNES as the sixth stage, "Perchance To Scream." Cast Uncredited Appearances * Anthony * Nigel Quotes Category:BTAS episodes